This gun held by 35-year-old Fatima was a wedding gift from her husband. Families of the nomadic Bakhtiari tribes of Iran may own several weapons, used to defend themselves and their livestock against thieves and wild animals. Fatima is known for her shooting and riding skills. (Enayat Asadi for NPR)
No one knows exactly where the Bakhtiari people came from before settling in the Zagros Mountains. But over the past several thousand years, their roots have grown deep into this land — in what is now western and southwestern Iran — alongside the native oak trees that serve as a vital source of their sustenance. In the face of modern forces, they're standing their ground.
Fereshteh, 14, is photographed in the central Zagros mountains, where her tribe spends spring and summer. They travel many hours on rough paths throughout the year, from pasture to pasture — and then there's the yearly 10-hour journey from their summer home to their winter home. She says she does not like the nomadic way of life but feels she has no choice but to accept and endure it. (Enayat Asadi for NPR)
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